ss 41–45 CONSTITUTION OF ZIMBABWE 46 President’s power to address and attend Parliament (1) The President— (a) may at any time address Parliament; and (b) shall have the right to sit and speak in Parliament but shall not have the right to vote therein. (2) The President may send messages to Parliament and any such message shall be read by the Speaker or by a Vice-President or a Minister. 51 Mode of exercising legislative powers (1) Subject to the provisions of section 52 and Schedule 4, the power of Parliament to make laws shall be exercised by Bills passed by Parliament and assented to by the President. [Section as substituted by section 12 of Act 31 of 1989 and as amended by section 9 of Act 15 of 1990] [Subsection as amended by section 4 of Act 23 of 1987] 47 Vice-Presidents, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Attorney-General in Parliament (1) A Vice-President or a Minister or a Deputy Minister shall have a right to sit and speak in Parliament but shall only have the right to vote in Parliament if he is a member thereof. [Subsection as amended by section 9 of Act 15 of 1990] (2) The Attorney-General shall have the right to sit and speak in Parliament but shall not have the right to vote therein. [Section as substituted by section 13 of Act 31 of 1989] 48 Secretary to Parliament and other staff thereof (1) There shall be a Secretary to Parliament appointed by the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. (2) A person appointed as the Secretary to Parliament shall not be removed from office unless Parliament resolves, by the affirmative votes of more than one-half of its total membership, that he should be removed from office. (3) Subject to any wishes which may be expressed from time to time by Parliament, the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders shall appoint such other staff of Parliament as it may from time to time consider necessary. (4) The staff of Parliament shall be appointed on terms of service approved from time to time by Parliament and shall be deemed to be public officers but shall not form part of the Public Service. [Section as substituted by section 14 of Act 31 of 1989] 49 Privileges of Parliament and members and officers thereof Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, an Act of Parliament may make provision to determine and regulate the privileges, immunities and powers of Parliament and the members and officers thereof including the Speaker, and to provide penalties for a person who sits or votes in Parliament knowing or having reasonable grounds for knowing that he is not entitled to do so. [Section as substituted by section 15 of Act 31 of 1989] PART 5 Powers and Procedure of Parliament 50 Legislative powers Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament may make laws for the peace, order and good government of Zimbabwe. [Subsection as amended by section 26 of Act 31 of 1989] (2) When a Bill is presented to the President for assent he shall, subject to the provisions of this section, within twenty-one days, either assent or withhold his assent. (3) Where this Constitution provides that a Bill of a specified description shall not be presented to the President for assent unless it is accompanied by a certificate, the President shall not assent to such Bill unless it is accompanied by the said certificate. (3a) Where the President withholds his assent to a Bill, the Bill shall be returned to Parliament and, subject to the provisions of subsection (3b), the Bill shall not again be presented for assent. [Subsection as inserted by section 4 of Act 23 of 1987 and as amended by section 26 of Act 31 of 1989] (3b) If, within six months after a Bill has been returned to Parliament in terms of subsection (3a), Parliament resolves upon a motion supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of Parliament that the Bill should again be presented to the President for assent, the Bill shall be so presented and, on such presentation, the President shall assent to the Bill within twenty-one days of the presentation, unless he sooner dissolves Parliament. [Subsection as inserted by section 4 of Act 23 of 1987 and as amended by section 26 of Act 31 of 1989] (4) All laws made by Parliament shall be styled “Acts” and the words of enactment shall be “enacted by the President and the Parliament of Zimbabwe” or words to the like effect. [Subsection as amended by section 16 of Act 31 of 1989] (5) An Act of Parliament shall come into operation on the day of its publication in the Gazette or on such other day as may be specified in or under that or some other Act. (6) An Act of Parliament shall be deemed to come into operation immediately on the expiration of the day preceding the day on which, by virtue of the provisions of subsection (5), it comes into operation. (7) The provisions of Schedule 4 shall apply in respect of the procedure with regard to Bills and the other matters specified therein. 52 Alteration of the Constitution (1) Parliament may amend, add to or repeal any of the provisions of this Constitution: Provided that, except as provided in subsection (6), no law shall be deemed to amend, add to or repeal any provision of this Constitution unless it does so in express terms. [Proviso as amended by section 7 of Act 30 of 1990] (2) A Constitutional Bill shall not be introduced into Parliament unless the text of the Bill has been published in the Gazette not less than thirty days before it is so introduced. [Subsection as amended by section 26 of Act 31 of 1989] 44